Case Number 11229: Small Claims Court

CHET ATKINS: A LIFE IN MUSIC

The Charge

"Mister Guitar" is called that for a reason.

The Case

On June 30, 2001, Chester Atkins, Certified Guitar Player, died at his home
in Nashville, TN. Unassuming and completely unpretentious, Atkins probably would
have been just fine with the fact that his passing didn't generate a big to-do,
massive tribute festivals, or anything other than a mention on the evening
news.

I'm not.

Chet Atkins, in the world of music, wasn't just great. He was a colossus.
Everything -- and I mean everything -- you hear on popular radio today
has been influenced by Atkins, or by the artists Atkins developed, influenced,
or both. This all-too-brief documentary from MPI Home Video, originally
developed as one of those legendary TNN/Bravo/Canada co-productions (coming
soon: the all-new game show "Alcoholic Hillbilly, Gay, or Toronto Maple
Leaf?"), barely scratches the surface of the Atkins story. Even in 43
minutes, though, you're left with an idea of the impact Atkins had on the music
industry.

First and foremost, Atkins was a brilliant guitarist. He was self-taught,
growing up less-than-dirt-poor in ultra-rural eastern Tennessee (as did one of
his later discoveries, Dolly Parton). His older half-brother Jim, also a
guitarist, served as an early inspiration. Eventually, Jim wound up as a backing
musician for Les Paul and Mary Ford; Les wound up selling (at a big discount) a
used guitar to Jim to give to young Chet. But it was listening to Merle Travis
that changed Chet's musical career forever. Travis was a fingerpicker -- he used
his index finger to pluck the melody on the guitar while his thumb played the
baseline. But his index finger was so fast it sounded like he was using two or
three fingers to Chet. So Chet taught himself what is now known as the
"Atkins method," a three-fingers-plus-thumb fingerpicking style that
is incredibly difficult to learn, but which, when mastered, gives a
guitarist the ability to play multiple notes very quickly. Atkins quickly
developed the skill to play both lead and rhythm guitar parts at the same
time, making his playing sound like that of two guitarists. Or, he could play
two songs at once on the same guitar. (If you don't believe me, watch the DVD).
Either way, his fingering on the frets was so precise and efficient that it
looked effortless, even though in reality it was incredibly complex fingerwork.
Beyond his playing skill, which was mainly a physical skill, Atkins also had
great musical sense. He could play by ear, and had a great ear for what made a
song successful. When he moved to Nashville, in the 1950s, he quickly became a
highly in-demand session guitarist, playing on early Elvis Presley tracks, songs
by the Carter Family, several Hank Williams numbers, and a number of other
high-profile tracks.

His music ear helped him with what became his greatest legacy in music --
his years running RCA's Nashville operation, out of the famous Studio B. When
Steve Sholes -- Elvis' A&R man -- was "kicked upstairs" in the RCA
organization after his success with Presley, Atkins was asked to take over the
job of producing and developing RCA's Nashville roster. In over two decades of
work, Atkins helped to create what is now known as the "Nashville
sound," a more pop-oriented form of country music that expanded the genre's
popularity outside the boundaries of the Deep South and the Appalachians. He
also nurtured and developed new talent, such as Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings,
Jerry Reed, Suzy Boguss, Floyd Cramer, and Charlie Pride. Unlike many musical
geniuses, Atkins was infinitely willing to share his talent in order to further
the careers of other talented people; and in Nashville, having Atkins on your
side counted for a lot.

Later in life, Atkins stepped away from the production side of the business
and went back to playing and recording himself. He cut a very successful duet
album, Chester and Lester, with Les Paul. He also worked with legendary
jazz guitarist George Benson, and Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler. All the
while, he stayed the same person he was from the beginning: quiet, shy,
unassuming, and humble.

Atkins was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1973; although he beat the cancer
then, it returned in the 1990s. He kept performing for as long as he could, but
succumbed to the disease in 2000. He lives on, though, in the multiple guitars
he designed for Gretsch and Gibson. He's most associated with Gretsch, which put
out the massive 6120 Chet Atkins model in 1954 -- a favorite of rockabilly
artists to this day. However, Atkins had a falling-out with the company after
the Gretsch family sold out to the Baldwin piano company, and switched his
allegiance to Gibson. (He actually forbade Gretsch from using his name in
connection with "his" guitar; only recently has his estate allowed the
Chet Atkins line to return to Gretsch's lineup. (Gretsch is now owned by the
Gretsch family again, although Fender actually manufactures and distributes the
guitars.) Gibson was, of course, inextricably associated with his friend Les
Paul, an equivalent guitar legend. (You have NOT heard the guitar played unless
you've seen Les Paul play live. Trust me on that one.) Atkins' design for
Gibson, the solid-body acoustic SST, is popular to this day.

This documentary look at Atkins' life is fascinating, but far too short. It
was clearly designed to run in a one-hour television slot, but Atkins deserves
so much more. Still, it packs a lot into its 43 minutes, including many, many
encomiums from artists who were influenced or inspired by Atkins -- a diverse
crowd that ranges from Dolly Parton and Amy Grant to Peter Frampton and Steve
Howe. A shorter (13 minutes or so) extra feature, "Pickin' with Mr.
Guitar," has a tad more footage of Atkins playing (including a tantalizing
bit of a live duet with Knopfler on Dire Straits' "Why Worry"), and
more stories from the musicians (especially Randy Bachman). My favorite part is
where Frampton (who, besides coming alive, also plays a damn fine guitar)
demonstrates precisely how his style is a derivation of Atkins' style. Yes, it's
kind of a guitar nerd thing -- but I liked it.

I'd really love to say "you should watch the more-comprehensive
(Documentary X) for a more comprehensive view of Atkins' career" -- but
unfortunately, there's nothing out there to fill in that blank. This is,
unfortunately, it...as far as Chet Atkins documentaries goes. And we're never
going to see a Walk The Line-style biopic about Atkins -- he was a quiet,
unassuming, humble guy, which makes for lousy drama. Until Atkins gets his just
due on DVD, this solid but short disc will have to make do.